


Rain

by s0mmerspr0ssen



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ficlet, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:25:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s0mmerspr0ssen/pseuds/s0mmerspr0ssen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Excuse me, may I share your umbrella?"</p><p><i>A ficlet inspired by a gif set (visual spoilers for </i>A Scandal in Belgravia<i>).</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by a [ gif set on tumblr made by the wonderful sherlockspeare](http://sherlockspeare.tumblr.com/post/15320956828/excuse-me-may-i-share-your-umbrella-of).
> 
> It's taken completely out of context, but will give **visual spoilers** for _A Scandal in Belgravia_.

Rain.

Always the bloody rain.

Made him miss the dry heat of Afghanistan - if only that.

Of course, he didn’t bring an umbrella today of all days, when the sky had suddenly decided to pour out a month’s worth of water in the matter of a day.

John was freezing and soaked after only a few minutes and, quite frankly, couldn’t afford to get sick. The surgery was packed with sniffles and coughs and with two doctors out, Sarah was relying on him to work overtime.

Hurrying down the street, he looked for any kind of place that would allow him to rest for a few moments until the worst was over. John sincerely hoped it would be a heavy, but brief downpour.

His shoulder was starting to hurt already. His scar didn’t do well in the cold wet.

Of course, there was nothing to seek refuge in or under. John had probably managed to find the only street in the whole of London that didn’t provide any kind of shelter unless you wanted to ring somebody’s door bell, and the only people in possession of umbrellas were hurrying past him, clearly not in the mood to help.

Finally, his eyes came to a rest on a well-dressed and enviably dry man, lighting a cigarette under his umbrella. An umbrella that could easily protect two men of their size from the shower.

John wasn’t usually one to bother strangers, but right now he was wet and grumpy and just wanted a place to rest until the worst had passed. The man didn’t seem to be going anywhere soon, content with his cigarette.

“Excuse me?” John said, quickly approaching the man. “I am sorry, but may I share your umbrella, just for a few minutes?”

The man looked up just as he slid his lighter into a coat pocket and gave John a brief, assessing look over his sharp nose.

For a second, John felt ridiculously exposed, something telling him that this man was _not_ somebody he had wanted to disturb.

The feeling vanished when the man presented him with a polite little smile, expression turning friendlier.

“Of course,” he said, shifting the umbrella to make more room for John.

“Thank you,” John replied, stepping as close to the other man as he still deemed appropriate, relieved to be protected for now.

There was an awkward silence of maybe a minute, though the man didn’t seem too bothered as he slowly inhaled what, from the doctor’s point of view, was the stupidest and possibly most expensive way to poison yourself.

“So, Doctor,” the man eventually said. “What would you say - is another wave of influenza imminent or do I still have some time before I have to make work with a mere quarter of my employees?”

John simply stared.

“How… excuse me, how did you know?”

The man smiled.

“That you are a doctor? Easy. Your hands and trousers say it all, though I assume your shoes would have given you away as well hadn’t you walked through quite so much rain. And then, of course, the faint smell of disinfectant.”

John blinked, part of his brain wondering how the man would possibly be able to smell disinfectant through the stink of cigarette smoke.

A much bigger part was entranced by the smug smile on the man’s face as he blew out another cloud of smoke.

“You don’t strike me as a man that is easily intimidated or impressed, Doctor. Of course, that can be expected from an ex-soldier. Either way, I’ll take you stunned expression as a compliment.”

His eyes moved when a black car pulled up at the kerb.

“Ah, I am afraid, duty calls.”

Still struck speechless, John watched as the man took John’s wrist in a light grip and gently transferred the handle of the umbrella into John’s hand.

“Keep this, Doctor, I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

John swallowed as the smooth skin of the man’s fingers brushed over John’s own hand, guiding John's fingers to curl around the polished wood.

“I couldn’t,” John protested weakly, but the man had already turned and walked a few steps through the rain until he came to stand next to a smartly-dressed woman, who was holding open the door of the car, an umbrella in her other hand.

“How can I give it back to you?” John called after him, unwilling to let this strange meeting pass without any further explanation. There was something about this man… John wanted to know more.

The man hesitated, sending him another long look, clearly considering.

“I will find you,” he said eventually and slipped into the car. The woman followed suit, then closed the door.

“But… you don’t even know my name,” John murmured, clutching the umbrella and dumbly staring at the tinted windows until the car pulled away.

_I will find you._

"Well then," John thought, shaking off his stupor.

At least he’d stay a bit drier on his way home.

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  Absolutely adorable art for this ficlet by the wonderful [nickelcurry](http://nickelcurry.tumblr.com/) on tumblr as part of [a Valentine's Exchange](http://nickelcurry.tumblr.com/post/17619801995/my-contribution-to-the-valentines-exchange-for). <3


End file.
